Is It Worth Decorating Before Selling a House?

A common dilemma for home sellers is whether to “do-up” the house or sell it as-is. Certainly, there are advantages and downsides to both options. Not one answer is perfect for all cases. You can either spruce up your property to add value, or lose money on unnecessary updates.

The trick here is to weigh your options carefully. Sometimes, costly decorations may be entirely unwarranted, especially if they don’t really add value to the property. At the same time, there may be cases that leaving the house as-is might reduce its sale value. To help you make a decision, here are some things that you need to consider.

First impressions matter

The value of curb appeal is nothing to ignore. You don’t need to splurge on aesthetic and design improvements at the risk of reducing your profits. The goal, after all, is to profit, not lose. In selling a property, the first step is always to attract buyers. The best way for this is obviously to ensure that your house looks good in just a single glance.

The most effective way to ensure a good first impression is to maintain a neat and tidy entrance to your property. Decluttering and cleaning up won’t cost you anything, after all. Of course, if there are important things such as peeled off paint and unpresentable doorways, then you may have to spend a little for repainting and repairs. Just don’t go overboard with it and keep the expense within reason.

The Garden Impact

Properties within 100 metres of public green spaces are, on average, £2,500 more expensive. It would be great if your location is already near a park or a public garden. If not, then maybe it’s worth to consider your own front garden. This is still part of the first impression idea stated in the previous point.

You don’t have to break the bank for garden makeovers. Hire a local gardener to work on it and it may just mean the difference. Or you can even do it yourself if you really want to save money and your green fingered.

Consider the location

There are places where you don’t need to do much to your property to be able to sell it. This is not negligence, but simply knowing your house’s value. However, in places where the housing price rates grow faster and the market is more competitive (such as Yorkshire and The Humber in January 2020), sprucing up your property may put you in the best light.

This doesn’t mean that if you’re in a more rural area, you don’t need to take care of your property. Keeping the property clean and orderly is still better no matter where you live.

Take it easy

Sometimes, the simplest solutions can give you the best results. If you’re really anxious about selling the house as-is, but don’t want to spend too much, then you can opt for easier ways to instantly improve the house.

Some examples of this include re-carpeting, replacing old, worn-out furniture, removing unsightly window coverings, or even repainting a little. These are relatively cheap options, but it can go a long way. There are times, however, the buyers may want to choose the paint colours and carpet designs themselves, so you also need to consider that.

You can look up sites that provide quotations and estimates for home decors to find the best fit for you. 

Consider your buyers

This is an important, but often overlooked aspect of preparing a house for sale. If you’re thinking of putting up some decors, consider who you’re selling the property to. 

For example, is the house you’re selling a large, family house? Then you may consider decorations that fit a family lifestyle. Are you marketing to individual homeowners to sell your bachelor pad? Take that into consideration as well. 

The idea here is to help potential buyers envision their new lives in your property. You can use tools that offer decor ideas and suggestions for specific needs.

When it comes to selling a house, the value is always the seller’s call, but it is greatly affected by the environment. Homes that need repairs are always valued less. In slow markets, for example, potential buyers might not even take a look at your property if it’s too much of a fixer-upper. 

Sometimes, it may also be helpful to put the property out there and gain some initial feedback. This will give you a perspective on which parts of the house are in need of decorating and which decors resonate with buyers. It would also guide you in deciding which decors to invest in.

Whatever the case, we hope that this article was able to illustrate the considerations to be made in preparing a property for sale. Besides, you can always enlist the help of professionals. If you need assistance in selling your house quickly, contact us at 0191 486 2386!